Chapter 6: The Constitution and the New Republic (1787-1800)

• Mt. Vernon Conference (1785)

  George Washington hosted a meeting in his home in Mt. Vernon, Virginia to review what could be done about the country's inability to overcome critical problems.
• Annapolis Convention (1786)


  States agreed the problems were serious enough to send delegates to another convention. Only 5 states sent delegates to meet.
• Constitutional Convention


  55 delegates met in Philidelphia to address the problems and weak central government that existed under the Articles of Confederation
• Checks and Balances- Many Americans in the 1780s feared a strong national government so Madison and many others wanted a system so that the power of each branch could be limited by the powers of others
• Representation at the Constitutional Convention- Should the larger states (VA, PA) have proportionally more representatives in Congress than the smaller states (NJ, DE)
• Virginia Plan


  Favored the large states in representation (proposed by Madison)
• New Jersey Plan


  favored the small states in representation
• The Great Compromise (aka The Connecticut Plan)

  Proposed by Roger Sherman and provided for a two house congress.

  In the Senate, states have equal representation. In the House of Representatives, states have representation according to population
• Three Fifths Compromise


  counted each enslaved individual as three-fifths of a person for the purposes of determining a state's level of taxation and representation
• Slave trade at the Constitutional Convention- the delegates decided to guarantee that slaves could be imported for at least 20 years longer until 1808. Congress could vote to abolish the practice after that date if it wished
• Commercial Compromise


  allowed Congress to regulate interstate and foreign commerce, including placing tariffs (taxes) on foreign imports, but it prohibited placing taxes on exports
• The delegates limited the president's term to four years but with no limit on the number of terms
• Electoral College System


  Rather than having voters elect a president directly, the delegates decided to assign to each state a number of electors equal to the total of that state's representatives and senators. (instituted because the delegates feared that too much democracy might lead to a mob rule)
• Framers of the Constitution decided only 9/13 states were required for ratification
• Federalists


  supporters of the Constitution and strong federal government (commonly along the Atlantic coast & in large cities)
• Anti-Federalists 


  opposed the Constitution and strong national government (small farmers & western frontier settlers)
• The Federalist Papers


  -a KEY element in the federalist campaign

  -written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay

  -presented cogent reasons for believing in the provisions of the Constitution
• Federalist Leaders

  George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton
• Anti-Federalist Leaders

  George Mason, Patrick Henry (Virginia)

  James Winthrop, John Hancock (Massachusetts)

  George Clinton (New York)
• Federalist Arguments


  Stronger central government was needed to maintain order and preserve the Union
• Anti-Federalist Arguments

  Stronger central government would destroy the work of the Revolution, limit democracy, and restrict states' rights
• Appointed by Washington

  Alexander Hamilton- Secretary of Treasury

  Thomas Jefferson- Secretary of State

  Henry Knox- Secretary of War

  Edmund Randolph- Attorney general
• Judiciary Act of 1789

  established a Supreme Court with one chief justice and five associate justices

  this highest court was empowered to rule on the constitutionality of decisions made by state courts

  this act also provided for a system of 13 district courts and three circuit courts of appeals
• Hamilton's Financial Plans for the U.S.

  1. Pay off the national debt at face value and have the federal government assume the war debts of the states
  2. Protect the nation's infant (new and developing) industries and collect adequate revenues at the same time by imposing high tariffs on imported goods
  3. Create a national bank for depositing government funds and printing banknotes that would provide the basis for a stable U.S. currency
• Proclamation of Neutrality (1793)


  Washington issued a proclamation of U.S. neutrality in the conflict of France's defensive war against Britain because he believed the U.S. was not strong enough for a European war. Jefferson did not agree and resigned from the cabinet
• "Citizen" Genet


  Edmond Genet, the French minister to the U.S. broke all the normal rules of diplomacy by appealing directly to the American people to support the French cause. Washington requested to the French government that they remove the offending diplomat
• The Jay Treaty (1794)

  Provided for undisputed American sovereignty over the entire Northwest and produced a reasonably satisfactory commercial relationship with Great Britain Was successful in maintaining Washington's policy of neutrality but angered American supporters of France
• The Pinckney's Treaty


  Spain recognized the right of Americans to navigate the Mississippi to its mouth and to deposited goods as New Orleans for reloading on oceangoing ships; agreed to fix the northeastern boundary of Florida along thee 31st parallel; and commanded its authorities to prevent the Indians in Florida from launching raids north across the border
• Battle of Fallen Timbers


  U.S. army (led by General Anthony Wayne) defeated the Confederacy tribes
• Treaty of Greenville


  the chiefs of the defeated Confederacy tribes agreed to surrender claims to the Ohio Territory and promised to open it up to settlement
• The Whiskey Rebellion


  To make up for the revenue lost because the tariffs were lower than he wanted, Hamilton persuaded Congress to pass excise taxes, particularly on the sale of whiskey. In PA, farmers rebelled and attacked the revenue collectors. Washington federalized 15,000 state militiamen and placed them under the command of Hamilton. (some Americans applauded the decision, some resented and Jefferson gained popularity)
• Public Land Act (1796)


  established orderly procedures for dividing and selling federal lands at reasonable prices
• Federalist Party supported Hamilton

  -strongest in the northeastern states, advocated for the growth of federal power
• Democratic-Republican Party supported Jefferson

  -strongest in the southern states & on the western frontier and argued for states' rights
• New States in the Union, 1791-1796- Kentucky and Tennessee
• Washington's Farewell Address warned Americans

  -not to get involved in European affairs

  -not to make "permanent alliances in foreign affairs

  -not to form political parties

  -not to fall into sectionalism (putting the interests of a region over the nation as a whole)
• The XYZ Affair- French officials known only as X, Y, and Z demanded a bribe before any negotiations (angered Americans but President Adams resisted going to war)
• Naturalization Act


  Increased from 5 to 14 years required for immigrants to qualify for U.S. citizenship
• Alien Acts


  authorized the president to deport aliens considered dangerous and to detain enemy aliens in time of war
• Sedition Act


  made it illegal for newspaper editors to criticize the president or Congress and imposed fines or imprisonment for editors who violated the law